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Water technology company moves to Alconbury

Water technology business Aquavent has joined other R & D tenants at the new Alconbury Enterprise Campus.

CleanTech company Enval and Mole Solutions, which is developing a system for transporting freight underground, are already entrenched at the new enterprise zone.

Aquavent UK specialises in techniques which save water and reduce costs to business. It has developed a water pressure management device - Aquai-Mod - which reduces the flow of water and manages the pressures caused by changes of demand when moving potable water in and reduces waste water out of buildings.

This also helps to reduce leakage and waste water caused by defective joints and reduces potential for burst mains, as well as reducing water consumption.

Crucially the business also supports companies by being able to constantly monitor the effectiveness of the system; clients can also monitor themselves to stay ahead of impending water bills.

The technology has saved up to 476,000 litres per day on one large user unit and run at 100 per cent reliability with little or no maintenance in eight years, according to the company. This has already enabled huge savings to be made by organisations who have piloted the technology, including Addenbrooke’s Hospital which has cut its water consumption by 110 million litres per year – an equivalent to 1.4 million baths and a cost saving of £141,000 pa.

The company’s innovative product is supported by the Department for the Environment (DEFRA) and approved on the Water Technology List. Aquavent, established in 1999 to further develop its water pressure management consultancy and products from first and second phase developments since 1989, has identified Alconbury Enterprise Campus as a strategic location to serve its current and potential future clients.

The team will be moving into a refurbished R & D unit on the campus and will be working collaboratively on water efficiency projects with JJM Services, which already has a base there.

Aquavent MD Mark Lock said: “Alconbury Enterprise Campus is a great place for us to be based. Its location is second to none being pitched at the A1 – A14 intersection giving us easy access to our customers via the UK’s motorway network and via the local train station at Huntingdon.

“We are also looking forward to supporting and contributing to the development at Alconbury, with some of the technologies we have developed; provisional proposals look very promising.”

Tim Leathes, project director of the Alconbury Weald development for site owners Urban&Civic, said: “Water is such a precious resource and we have set ourselves a guiding principle throughout the development to use resources wisely and efficiently.

“Aquavent is a great example of how we hope this development can showcase the best of the technologies being developed by local companies, and support them to grow both through working with us and providing Enterprise Zone space on the campus.”